Staff Mechanical Engineer

Staff Mechanical Engineer

It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.

We're a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.

The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.

If you're ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you'll find your purpose here.

Job Description

Mechanical Engineers play a critical role in Ion's success by delivering differentiated, life‑changing instruments and accessories that improve patient outcomes. We are looking for a Staff Mechanical Engineer to advance the development of our novel tissue processing and analytics instruments and consumable. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of designing precision electromechanical systems for medical applications from concept stage to commercialization.

This position reports on-site at offices in San Carlos, CA.

Essential Job Duties

• Drive the mechanical design and assembly of novel electromechanical instrumentation integrating motion controls, sensing, fluidics, optics and consumable
• Ideate novel system designs and develop/improve existing prototypes and fixtures
• Develop mechanical assemblies and source components with consideration for performance, manufacturability, and cost
• Document mechanical designs to support Intuitive's quality system and transfer to manufacturing including drawings and assembly
• Create and implement procedures and protocols for instrument testing
• Collaborate with vendors, suppliers, and manufacturing personnel through prototyping, DFM, design transfer and launch
• Work closely with a multidisciplinary engineering team and company leadership to deliver on key technical milestones

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Degree in mechanical engineering or related field
• 5+ years of experience designing, building, and testing precision electromechanical systems for medical robotics, medical device, or diagnostic equipment applications
• Expert proficiency in SolidWorks 3D CAD for design of complex parts, assemblies and engineering drawing within a PDM environment
• Demonstrated ability to advance the mechanical design of complex medical systems from prototype to manufacturing and commercialization
• Ownership of top level assemblies and BOMs including material selection, component selection and manufacturing processes
• Experience across designing plastic injection molded components for high-volume disposables/plastics and capital equipment
• Broad experience across all phases of the product development lifecycle, including proof-of-concept, detail design, debugging, verification, qualification, and transfer to manufacturing
• Rapid prototyping capability complemented with small batch manufacturing experience
• Support production by troubleshooting process and component-level problems
• Participate in Quality and Regulatory activities to support compliant product development and release
• Strong analytical skills and creative mindset

Required Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree with 12 years of experience, Master's degree with 8 years of experience, or PhD with 6 years of experience in Mechanical Engineering

Additional Information

Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.

Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.

Mandatory Notices

U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR §743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.

Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government's licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan ("TCP") (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).

For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee's start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.

This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on business need and/or on the selected candidate's experience, knowledge and skills. Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the candidate's qualifications, consistent with applicable law.

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.